Rain poured over the graveyard as Isshin slowly opened his eyes.
Everything felt distant at first, like waking up from something far too deep. His body was heavy, but not unfamiliar. He had felt something similar before, back in the cave when he pushed himself too far.
But this time should have been different.
He should've died.
Isshin clenched his fists, his expression steady. "Raijin," he said quietly. "What happened?"
Raijin hesitated. "I… don't know. That shouldn't have been possible."
Isshin let out a slow breath.
He looked down at the grave in front of him.
Here lies Isshin.
The rain had already smoothed out the disturbed soil. It looked untouched.
He didn't stay there long.
Standing up, he pulled his hood over his head and put on his mask. His gaze shifted toward the horizon.
"I need somewhere isolated," he said. "Somewhere I can train."
Raijin responded immediately. "There's a place. An old mountain. It used to be filled with cultivators, but it's been abandoned. Hard to reach. Easy to get lost."
Isshin nodded.
Without another word, he started moving.
The forest ahead was dense. Thick roots twisted across the ground, vines hanging low, making every step harder. It wasn't a place someone could walk through easily.
But he kept going.
Rune stepped into the abandoned house.
The door creaked behind him as dust filled the air. The place smelled old, like it had been left untouched for years. Light slipped through gaps in the wooden walls, barely lighting the room.
He walked slowly, scanning everything.
Broken tools. Scattered papers.
Then something caught his eye.
An envelope.
He picked it up carefully.
"I'm sorry. I had no choice but to go back. They found me. I just hope you make it, Rune. — Vel."
Rune's grip tightened slightly.
The paper crumpled in his hand.
He didn't say anything.
He left the house.
Rain had started again by the time he reached the city.
The streets were quieter now. Most people had gone inside.
Rune walked into a bar.
Warm light and noise replaced the cold outside. He sat down and ordered drink after drink, watching time pass as the crowd slowly thinned.
Eventually, the bartender spoke.
"Stop pretending. That's just juice."
Rune didn't react.
Instead, he asked, "Did Vel leave anything else?"
The bartender paused. "She said you should get stronger and come back in ten years."
Rune stayed quiet for a moment.
"…It's only been one."
He didn't explain further.
Elsewhere, Karin trained.
For seven days straight, she focused on the technique.
Her body hurt constantly, but there was progress. Her qi responded better now. The image of wings was becoming clearer.
At the same time, the Heavenly Demon Sect was falling into chaos.
With the Heavenly Demon in isolation, some elders tried to take control. They spread rumors that Karin had been kidnapped.
Others opposed them.
Voices filled the halls.
"You're twisting the truth!"
"We're protecting the future of the sect!"
Swords were drawn.
Qi filled the air.
The situation was about to turn into a fight.
Then—
Something crossed the sky.
A streak of light moved too fast to follow.
Everyone stopped.
Trying to understand what they had just seen.
A sudden gust of wind swept through the courtyard.
Everyone looked up.
Karin was in the air.
For a moment, no one spoke. Flight like that wasn't normal. Only those in the Monarch Realm could do it naturally, and even then it wasn't common. For someone at her level, it shouldn't have been possible.
She landed calmly, the wind settling around her.
The tension in the courtyard disappeared almost instantly.
Karin explained what had happened, clearing up the misunderstanding. The elders who had tried to take advantage of her absence didn't argue anymore. They backed down without pushing further.
Even the guardian looked surprised, but after hearing everything, she didn't question it.
Karin didn't waste time.
With access to the previous Heavenly Demon's teachings, her path forward had changed. She returned to training immediately.
In the desert kingdom, Rune sat across from Ross.
He explained everything that had happened over the past months. Ross listened without interrupting.
When he finished, Ross shook his head. "You're not ready to face him."
Rune ignored that. "What's he planning?"
Ross sighed. He knew there was no stopping him.
"There's a group," he said. "Southern Justice Fragments. They operate in the shadows. If anyone can help you, it's them."
"You know where they are?" Rune asked.
Ross shook his head. "No one does. They find you."
Rune didn't reply.
Instead, he pulled out the object he had received earlier.
The key.
Ross paused when he saw it.
"…Looks like they already did."
Rune looked at it again.
"I don't know where it leads," Ross continued. "But that's probably your way in."
Rune nodded slightly. "That's enough."
He stood up.
"I'm going to use the S-4," he said.
Ross's expression changed. "That's your mother's project. You're serious?"
"It's unfinished anyway," Rune replied. "Might as well use it."
Ross didn't argue further.
"I'll see you later," Rune said, already walking out.
It was still dark outside.
Just before dawn.
Deep in the forest, Isshin moved carefully.
Every step mattered.
The forest was dense, unnatural. The trees stretched high into the sky, blocking most of the light. It was easy to lose direction.
Isshin relied on his system.
Every tree, every patch of ground, every detail was tracked. His mind processed everything at once, mapping the area to avoid walking in circles.
The pressure was constant.
His thoughts moved faster than normal, calculating paths and outcomes instantly.
Level: 149Health: 73Strength: 75Stamina: 74Mana/Qi: 71Intelligence: 58Available Stat Points: 1Cultivation: Nascent Soul Realm – 4th Stage
Even with the system, it wasn't easy.
Raijin could have handled it effortlessly, but he didn't step in.
Isshin had to do it himself.
After a while, he reached something unexpected.
A wall.
Old stone, covered in age, with no visible entrance.
Breaking it wasn't an option. The forest wasn't empty. Strong beasts were nearby, some far beyond his level.
So he climbed.
The surface was rough enough to hold onto, but it took time. Eventually, he found a small opening near the top.
He looked inside.
Ancient structures.
Ruins.
Sunlight entered from above, lighting parts of the area. In the distance, there was an altar.
Isshin slipped through the opening and landed inside quietly.
Then he heard voices.
He moved immediately, hiding behind a pillar.
Two men walked past.
Same clothing. Same group.
"We need to take the egg before the wyvern returns," one of them said.
Isshin stayed still.
He wasn't planning to get involved.
Then—
A roar echoed through the structure.
The two men froze, then ran.
Too late.
Something dropped from above.
The wyvern landed on the altar with force, shaking the ground.
Dust filled the air.
Isshin didn't move.
The creature was only a few meters away.
And now, there was nowhere to go.